October 2021: Breathing Again
It's October and we're just starting to get into the groove of the school year. With that settling in, however, comes some predictable anxiety. Maybe it's anxiety about a test or presentation or about a conversation we anticipate will be difficult. Often the advice we're given is to "just breathe." It's good advice but do you know why?
Our body's goal, at the core, is to survive. It's why so much of how our bodies function are not things we consciously control. One such part is the autonomic nervous system, which regulates body functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. The autonomic nervous system has two main parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system, which are responsible for carrying out daily activities (such as digestion) and protecting us when we sense a threat. They are both always active systems but each can be activated to "take over" as needed.
When our bodies sense a threat- which could be as small as us feeling anxious about an upcoming event- it gets us ready to protect ourselves by allowing the sympathetic nervous system to be in charge, preparing our bodies to fight, flee, freeze or fawn. The sympathetic nervous system sends as much as oxygen as possible to our legs and arms, directing it away from other areas. This is one reason it's often hard to find our words or to think clearly when we're upset- there isn't as much oxygen getting to our brain.
When we're feeling anxious our sympathetic nervous system needs a signal that we're actually safe and not in immediate danger. Deep breathing calls on the parasympathetic nervous system, which is in charge of keeping us calm, engaged and in our routines, to be in charge. The parasympathetic nervous system sends the message to our sympathetic nervous system that it's okay to stand down. Our bodies then start to calm: our heart rate slows, our breathing is more even, and the oxygen is redistributed more evenly, allowing us to think more clearly.
The more often that we practice deep breathing and intentional relaxation when we are in calm states, the faster our bodies can remember that the deep breathing is the "all clear, time to calm" signal when we are in a dysregulated state. This allows our bodies to move out of the anxious state more quickly.
Why is this important? It's important because when we are in the anxious state, we aren't able to take in new information and often we aren't able to access relatively newly learned skills. It is why we tend to default to more primitive thinking and behavior when we're upset. If you are about to go into a meeting or conversation that you're worried about or about to present in a meeting, you may want to do a breathing activity to help ground and calm yourself before you start. If you find yourself in a difficult situation in which you can feel your sympathetic nervous system kicking in, you can focus on breathing deeply and slowly to help remind your body that you are safe and that it can allow your thoughts to slow down.
There are lots of ways to practice breathing (sounds silly, right? That we have to "practice" breathing?) for both adults and children. I'll link a couple below that you may want to use for yourself or with your children.
Articles:
10 breathing exercises for kids
Videos:
The more often you practice this when you're calm, the faster your body will regulate when you are under stress. Give it a try- but dedicate yourself to really practicing multiple times a week. It takes 6-8 weeks to really set a habit so try to do it for that long. And even if you can't be that consistent, it never hurts your body and mind to engage in mindful breathing!
Be well,
Dr. J.
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